The Weinstein CompanyElizabeth Banks and Seth Rogen spoof adult-film cliches in "Zack and Miri make a Porno."

Cult comedy heavyweight Kevin Smith helms this film, but he borrows quite a few of Judd Apatow's regular actors. Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks play lifelong platonic friends who decide that the only way out of dire economic straits is to strip down and do the nasty on camera.

Banks' naturally effervescent performance is funny, sexy and awkward at the same time, but it doesn't make up for tired jokes about the adult film industry and scenes that drag for too long without ever reaching a punchline.

And for a movie with such a provocative title, "Zack and Miri" isn't nearly as edgy as Kevin Smith classics like "Clerks" or "Chasing Amy." James Sanford calls it "feeble," but John Serba says longtime Smith fans will find a little bit to like. Still, both critics agree that the movie doesn't live up to the potential of its talented cast.

Angelina Jolie plays a single mother in the 1920s whose son is abducted one day while she is at work. As a publicity stunt, the corrupt Los Angeles police give her a different son, insisting he is hers. Her continuing search lands her in a mental institution and ultimately makes her the face of a public fight to clean up the police force.

Directed by Clint Eastwood, "Changeling" matches the intensity of films like "Mystic River" and "Million Dollar Baby." MLive's critics agree that Jolie's performance lends a quiet confidence to her character, who persists despite what amounts to psychological torture.

Some movies are "based on a true story," but screenwriter J. Michael Straczynski poured through 6,000 pages of police records to write this movie. This is a true story.

But like real life, the movie has some pacing issues. Scenes from the mental institution are dangerously broad, and from there the movie gets a little too melodramatic. Still, John Serba says Eastwood's masterful direction makes this a film not to be enjoyed, but to be appreciated.

"Kit Kittredge: An American Girl" — It's a classy, positive family movie in spite of the fact that it's basically a 90-minute advertisement for upscale dolls.

"Death Defying Acts"— Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones star in this romantic fantasy about the life of Harry Houdini. James says it's worth checking out in spite of the fact that it barely showed up in theaters.